The Belt and Road initiative and food consumption in countries along the route

Abstract

The economic impact of the Belt and Road (B&R) initiative has received extensive academic attention, but few existing assessments have focused on the impact of the initiative on consumer welfare. Therefore, this paper empirically investigates the impact of the B&R initiative on food consumption levels and dietary diversity in B&R countries and its inherent channels through the difference‐in‐differences model with the propensity score matching method (PSM‐DID). The results indicate that the B&R initiative has a significant positive effect on improving food consumption levels and dietary diversity in B&R countries, and the promotion‐effect is stronger for the Maritime Silk Road countries. Further, the B&R initiative has led to a dietary shift in B&R countries, with a decrease in the calorie share of cereals and an increase in the calorie share of fruits and vegetables, oils and fats, and meat, eggs and milk. The mechanism analysis reveals that income and prices may be important channels for the impact of the initiative on food consumption in B&R countries, and that the B&R initiative may have led to changes in tastes in B&R countries. [EconLit Citations: D12, F13, Q11].